May 8, 2009 - 08:50 pm .- Archbishop Raymond Burke, delivering an address to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on Friday, said President Barack Obama’s pro-abortion policies have damaged the family and charged that Notre Dame’s invitation to the president was the source of "the greatest scandal."

May 8, 2009 - 03:53 pm .- In response the backlash that occurred following the termination of a Madison catechist due to her "serious dissent" from Church teachings, the diocese has produced a "Q & A" document to clarify any confusion or rumors which have surfaced following the incident.

May 8, 2009 - 12:56 pm .- The Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, Archbishop Antonio Franco, said this week, "My hope is that Benedict XVI’s visit" to the Holy Land will "give a decisive boost to peaceful coexistence in justice."

May 8, 2009 - 11:03 am .-
Earlier today Pope Benedict stopped at a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities in Jordan's capital of Amman, where he acknowledged the trials of the young people and encouraged them to draw “strength from God.”

May 8, 2009 - 10:20 am .- Benedict XVI has sent a message to Archbishop Ioan Robu of Bucharest, Romania, for the celebrations taking place to mark the tenth anniversary of John Paul II’s visit to the country in May 1999. He encouraged him to draw on the teachings of the late Pontiff in order to face "the great challenges of our time."

May 8, 2009 - 08:21 am .-
Shepherd One touched down at Queen Alia airport on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. as Pope Benedict XVI began his visit to the Holy Land. The Holy Father emphasized that he is coming as a pilgrim and that a downward spiral into violence is not the inevitable outcome for the region.

May 8, 2009 - 09:10 am .- In conjunction with Pope Benedict XVI’s historic trip to the Holy Land, Catholic News Agency has launched a special web site to provide complete coverage of this significant event for the Church and world: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/holyland09/

May 8, 2009 - 05:02 am .- In an article published this morning, Italian Vatican analyst Sandro Magister notes that, while L'Osservatore Romano has praised Barack Obama for his "moderation," two scholars from the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences have harshly criticized the U.S. President for his position on life issues.

May 8, 2009 - 01:46 am .- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Wednesday launched a campaign to oppose embryonic stem cell research and support ethical cures, encouraging citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

May 8, 2009 - 12:09 am .- During his apostolic trip to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI will offer special prayers for the children of the Gaza Strip during the Mass he will celebrate in Bethlehem on May 13.